


Victory Is In A Simple Soul

by Just_One_Of_Clockwork_Thoughts



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - (Hidden) Magic, As History keeps repeating, DOCTOR Oobleck should be listened to more often, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Maiden-Related Shenanigans, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ozpin is a master of Xanatos Speed Chess, Unfortunately so is Salem, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-24 12:58:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13214256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just_One_Of_Clockwork_Thoughts/pseuds/Just_One_Of_Clockwork_Thoughts
Summary: Remnant[rem-nənt]Noun:1: A Fragment or Scrap, Usually of Fabric2: A Trace or Vestige3: A Remaining Quantity or Number-4: Remainder of a Community After a Catastrophe (Biblical)-December.Brynhildr.Celadon.Nova.A Sorceress seeking revenge on those who ripped her world down.A Knight who swore to guard her from any threat.A Warrior fighting to protect what he loves.A Rebel with a vow to hunt down her own family.There aren’t any easy happy endings here. So tread carefully.





	Victory Is In A Simple Soul

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, Everyone, Sorry it's been so long, but I'm back with a new fic! This is a complete and utter re-write and overhaul of Bloody Ties And Lucky Colors, and possibly my most ambitious fic to date. Expect tons of worldbuilding.  
> Without further ado, Enjoy!

Victory Is In A Simple Soul

Volume One: A World of New Solutions, A World of Bloody Evolution

Chapter One: Not As Planned

 

“Stand up, shout it out  
Sing it loud, so the world can't drown us out  
And before we depart let's leave a mark  
'Cuz light shines brighter in the dark”

-Thousand Foot Krutch, Untraveled Road

 

<???. ??? PGW.>

 

They did not live. None of what stood before _her_ did, yet there they were, swords in hand. Red lines traced across dead flesh, weaving the same pattern as that upon the Living Curses named Grimm, and for good reason; for what stood before _her_ had been animated by the same will that drove the incarnated hatred.

_She_ raised _her_ (hand? Could it be called that still?) in contempt of what was before _her_ , and destroying Silver Light poured forth, erasing the objects of _her_ annoyance with ease.

_[“Arrogance. You should know better.”]_

**She** was taunting _her_ , and it was annoying _her_ . **She** knew how much of a threat _she_ was, else **she** would not be here. Or **she** did not truly believe _she_ was here. Regardless, it was an annoyance, though one easily ignored.

_She_ lowered _her_ (not-hand?), and waited, _her_ actual hand brushing across one of _her_ wings, smoothing _her_ feathers out of both habit and boredom, though that was not a problem. _She_ had all the time in the world, **She** decidedly did not.

A few moments passed, before another stepped across the threshold of the massive ruined Cathedral. Spring walked between doors taller than most buildings, a twisted, feral smirk on her lips, blood red eyes shining with insanity.

_[“A Maiden? Thinking herself powerful enough to kill me? Here?”]_ _She_ would have scoffed if _she_ weren’t so amused. _[“Kill her.”]_ _She_ ordered, the command echoing off of the walls. Spring grinned wider for a moment, before the smile was abruptly blasted off her face as _her_ Knight leapt forward, flame burning down her body, wings of fire blazing into being. Lightning sprang up to meet her, and the two clashed in fury, though _she_ barely paid attention.

Spring was simply a distraction. And the next through confirmed it.

**She** stepped into the Cathedral. **The Blackened Goddess** in all **her** terrible glory, the mother of all Grimm, Creator-Goddess of that twisted kind. A pale hand raised to brush away hair normally in a bun, now simply let fall loosely, and the other raised slightly. Grimm came into being, a solid wall of soulless creatures, each a shallow mockery of human and faunus form.

_[“Pointless. They cannot hide you from me. You know that well.”]_

_She_ did not call forth the power _she_ had against the undead, but now simply swept _her_ gaze across the Grimm before _her_ . Divine Authority granted to _her_ by _her_ soul and bloodline obliterated all _she_ swept _her_ gaze over, _her_ Silver Eyes flaring into pools of light.

Once again, _she_ was face-to-face with **her.** _She_ did not drop into the combat stance _her_ training and instincts were screaming at _her_ to do, but simply crossed _her_ arms under _her_ breasts, and stood still, as if waiting for someone, wrapping _her_ wings against _herself_ slightly.

**[“So, it really is you.”] The Blackened Goddess** said with a smile. **[“I should have expected you to run here. Old habits die hard, don’t they?”]** A glance around accompanied **her** words. **[“Still, I cannot fault you for it. Were I in the situation you were in, I’d seek out my own Sanctuary, too.”] She** sighed now, looking down and shaking **her** head slowly, heedless of the blast of Magical fire from one of the two duelists, a blast that splashed uselessly against **her** Shielding Spells.

**[“There are two things, though, that I wish to know.”]** Now **her** head raised to look _her_ in the eyes, red meeting silver. **[“Why did you reject my offer? You know how much we could have accomplished together.”]**

_[“You mean, why did I not join in your crusade against mankind and the faunus? Why did I not abandon everyone and everything I love for power?”] She_ shook _her_ own head slowly, eyes still locked on **her.** _[“That you even have to ask proved you never did understand as much as you claim to.”]_

**[“Fair enough.”] She** nodded. **[The other; Why now, of all times, did you run here? You could have done so many times before, but you never did. Yet now,  when you, to be honest... oh, what is the phrase?”] She** glanced up and to the side for a moment, then returned **her** gaze to _her._ **[“‘Had me on the ropes’ is it? Regardless, you ran here instead of fighting to the end, and gave me the time to regain something of my strength. Why?”]** Genuine curiosity tinged **her** gaze and expression, regret also clear. Unlike **her** children, **The Blackened Goddess** was not truly hateful to any save the Wizard of Beacon.

_[“Honestly, I too was weak. I have yet to regain my full strength.”] She_ admitted. _[“And besides, you are not the true goal here. Now now, at least.”]_

**Her** head tilted to the side in confusion, surprisingly cutely for a humanoid abomination.

**[“What do you mean?”] She** asked, a hand coming up to brush **her** hair back over **her** shoulder again.

As if on cue, multicolored light exploded across the floor, Runes flashing into being over the massive Magic Circle that now encompassed the tremendous building. Behind _her_ , Power began to well as the Ritual _she_ was guarding reached its height. Just minutes remained before completion.

Shock was now the dominant emotion on **The Blackened Goddess’s** face. _She_ couldn’t help it. _She_ laughed lightly, enjoying **her** expression, watching  **her** wings spread out in surprise.

**[“And you say I’m the crazy one!"]**

_[“Oh, you most certainly are crazy.”] She_ smiled broadly, leaning forwards. _[“But, you see, so am I.”] She_ uncrossed _her_ arms, and now dropped into a combat stance.

**The Blackened Goddess** raised both of **her** arms, deep crimson lines running across **her** body, in a similar, yet vastly more complex pattern than those on **her** children. Power welled about **her.**

_She_ raised _her_ own (not-arm), silver running across _her_ body in a similar pattern, _Her_ wings flaring out to their full extent.

And the Goddesses clashed.

Lightning burst across the battlefield, blocked by stone walls, ground into dust by flash-formed glaciers, melted by raging infernos, extinguished by hurricanes, consumed by dark, burned away by light, such was the power used, and despite it all, both were evenly matched; **The Blackened Goddess** was whole, and that gave **her** an advantage _she_ lacked. But that was not everything. _She_ had chosen the battleground for a reason more that its durability. The Lunar Cathedral was _hers_ , the Sanctuary where  _her_ own power was multiplied; thus the difference was settled. And that was why _she_ was winning. For defeating **her** never was the goal.

Perhaps they fought for hours, perhaps only for seconds, and _she_ couldn’t tell.

But _she_ knew when the battle ended. More multicolored light burst into being across the Cathedral, as the Ritual reached completion.

One burst reached _her_ , and _she_ smiled as the world around _her_ began to blur.

**[“You. Fucking. Madwoman.”]**

_[“I’ll take that as a compliment! Goodbye, Salem!”] She_ laughed as the world around _her_ shattered.

…

…

<Emerald Forest, Vale. Year 80 PGW>

 

_She_ hit the ground in a three-point landing with a muffled thud, wings spread halfway. _He_ r eyes opened, and _s_ he glanced around herself.

_Not as planned._

She was supposed to be in a city, Vale, to be precise; instead she was in a forest of some kind, though at least she could feel her Knights’ souls nearby. And another’s.

She passed her Semblance over the nearby presence, which was moving closer as she did so.

So familiar, yet… No. That wasn’t... And yet…

She turned around, as the presence was so close now, the impossibility she knew yet didn’t believe was right behind her. An impossible face looked back at her. Silver met silver.

“Uhh... Hi?” _Sheepish. A bit unexpected._ “So, uhh… My name’s Ruby, and I think we’re supposed to be partners now?”

…

…

{Chapter 1, END}

**Author's Note:**

> As always, please let me know how you think this was!  
> And please, so go ahead and speculate, I enjoy it quite a bit, as it lets me know you really are enjoying the story!  
> Remember, More Comments = Happier Author = (probably) Quicker Updates!


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